The Practice of Practising

[johnb]

I was looking forward to this "Music Feature" but found it very disappointing indeed.

Right from the start it became obvious this was going to be treated as a producer's play-ground (let's show how clever we can be).

Very frustrating as it could have been a very good programme. All the producer had to do was to let Stephen Hough (and the others) get on with talking about how they practise, etc, etc.

But then, perhaps this is now all we can expect from the current management.

[french frank]

Oh, dear. It appears this was a Radio 3 in-house production, rather than by one of the indies which have produced some very good programmes (in the past - no more to be commissioned for the present) for this slot.

What exactly was wrong with it, johnb? (I'm still reeling from checking the Sound of Cinema programme and, yes, he did say, "If you don't feel moved, take the psychopath test now." We're talking about 'Feed the Birds' and other songs from Mary Poppins )

[DracoM]

Radio 2 comes to R3. That Film Music prog is simply unlistenable to. I'd love to know their audience figures.

[amateur51]

I was looking forward to this "Music Feature" but found it very disappointing indeed.

Right from the start it became obvious this was going to be treated as a producer's play-ground (let's show how clever we can be).

Very frustrating as it could have been a very good programme. All the producer had to do was to let Stephen Hough (and the others) get on with talking about how they practise, etc, etc.

But then, perhaps this is now all we can expect from the current management.

And Alan Rusbridger, Guardian editor and Chopin-player manqué.

It comes to something when Board members can out-think programme producers

[Serial_Apologist]

And Alan Rusbridger, Guardian editor and Chopin-player manqué.

Yes - why doesn't he just stick to dishing the dirt about US security secrets?

[amateur51]

Yes - why doesn't he just stick to dishing the dirt about US security secrets?

I guess that he's developing other arrows to his professional bow, lest Mr Pee should get his way & AR is despatched to The Tower

[Nick Armstrong]

Radio 2 comes to R3. That Film Music prog is simply unlistenable to. I'd love to know their audience figures.

Agreed. It was a very boring programme

[Richard Tarleton]

Is there a link to johnb's programme? I guess it's out of date now anyway. Was Alan R in the programme? I referred to AB's book here. OK one can mock, as his musically illiterate peers on Fleet Street have already, but he has done a lot to encourage adults returning to musical instruments, and writes entertainingly and self-deprecatingly on the subject. One can envy his easy access to the Brendels, Barenboims and Perahias, and the insouciance with which he can buy a Fazioli and then a Steinway, but I'd say he was an admirable role model for busy amateur musicians everywhere.

[David-G]

I am lost. I thought this thread was about "The Practice of Practising"? What does Alan Rusbridger have to do with it?

I am full agreement with johnb. I thought the programme might enlighten us as to how a professional pianist goes about practising. Instead, it was just general waffle.

RT, the programme was on Saturday morning (if I remember correctly). It should still be on the iplayer.

[johnb]

Is there a link to johnb's programme?

Available on iPlayer until Saturday: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03lzrsk

[Edit note: I initially wrote it was available until tomorrow - getting mixed up with all these holidays etc.]

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks both, will have a listen but not for long by the sound of it!

[David-G]

RT, I would be interested to know what you think of it. It had moments of interest, but overall seemed a waste of time.

[amateur51]

I listened to it. Stephen Hough certainly, possibly all three contributors, needed to be guided abnd occasionally challenged by an informed interviewer to make it an interesting programme. I don't want to know that Mr. Hough is hungry after a concert or that he's going to Italy on holiday. I want to know how he practices and what it means to him etc etc., and how this is defferent to pianist B and pianist C, similarly with other soloists. Stories about Gieseking would have been good too. And what about Gould who practiced to record, not to perform in public latterly.

When I saw that this programme was to be forty-five minutes long I was surprised. Now I think it would have been too long at 20 minutes Did they record three hours and then decide that there was forty-five minutes of usable material? Or did they try to fill forty-five minutes? It sounds liike the latter to me.

[Richard Tarleton]

Four contributors - though Julian Bream's brief contribution at 39.27 didn't add a great deal. He said he missed it now he was retired Except he was the only one who mentioned exercises. Yes, I wanted to know who practised scales and exercises and for how long....Nicola Benedetti said something about her mum and routine, but didn't say what the routine was....

Stephen Hough touched on how memory worked, and muscular memory (the way the brain turns a piece you learn from the dots into muscular memory, and the dangers of over-reliance on this, is a subject which has always interested me - in my own small amateur way I go back to the printed music for pieces I've learnt by heart every so often, it's amazing how small mistakes creep in).

I hope some tiger mums heard what he said about them, and the wrong sort of perfection....

Joyce di Donato was stating the bleedin' obvious about singers and singing...I could have written her bit, from what every singer says.

But yes a very flabby programme. I remember hearing Alfred Brendel saying that even though he had learnt a piece in the past it wasn't "digitised" and he had to re-learn things - I seem to remember he didn't do scales and exercises, the pieces themselves were enough. Henryk Szeryng went through things he knew well very slowly...it needed a lot more specifics, and less philosophising about performance. And there was far too much of SH's Proms performance.....

[David-G]

When I saw that this programme was to be forty-five minutes long I was surprised. Now I think it would have been too long at 20 minutes Did they record three hours and then decide that there was forty-five minutes of usable material? Or did they try to fill forty-five minutes? It sounds liike the latter to me.

Very likely they recorded three hours of material, and then decided that all the discussion of actual practising was too highbrow for the audience they are trying to attract to Radio 3, so junked it.